Just for Fun...

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? not really but my mom had a roommate with my name...
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? during a movie a week ago
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Turkey
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? 58 students... does that count?
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I don't know... probably.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Define A Lot...
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Only if you paid me boatloads of money.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Granola
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? No.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Peppermint or Moose Tracks
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? voice
15. RED OR PINK? Red
16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My size
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Laurel (my sister)
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? yes.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Jeans, no shoes indoors here.
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Hot cocoa and a cookie...before that, fabulous Mexican food.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? My kerosene heater, people outside, my typing, Laura typing and laughing.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Dark Purple
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? The ocean, the air after a heavy rain, hot fresh tortillas, newly cut wood, tatami, chicken soup
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Bob Keenan
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes!
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Anything my siblings play.
27. HAIR COLOR? Blonde
28. EYE COLOR? Brown
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes
30. FAVORITE FOOD? Chedder Cheese
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Straight from the Heart (Bollywood)
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Tan tee with a light blue sweater/sweatshirt
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
35. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Carrot Cake...maybe.
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Laurel
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Naomi
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? The Little Princess (teacher's reading group), The Hobbit (6th grade Lit), Genesis and Psalms, The World and Its People: Eastern Hemisphere.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I don't have a mousepad, but my desktop is of the desert in Dubai.
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LATE LAST NIGHT? I haven't watched TV since... well, January in Nashville I think.
42. FAVORITE SOUND? waves, birds, children laughing, thunder, silence
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Hmm... well considering that I have 2 homes that are about as far away as you can get from each other...how do I answer this question?
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? No
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Moscow, ID (not Russia)

If you read this, you are now tagged!

Sunshine and Shadows

This evening I saw the sun setting after several days of rain. Suddenly everywhere was flooded with light. The raindrops still glittered on the bare tree branches like white Christmas lights. The rooster across the way decided that it must be sunrise instead of sunset and I felt the warmth of morning in my soul. The dull tan concrete houses were blotched and dark with wetness that stood out from the grey and blue sky. Two small girls from the house across the street saw me standing on the glassy wet balcony and waved yelling "Hello! Hello!" Raising my hand to wave, I smiled, hoping that they knew that I was trying to be kind. The air smelled cleanly damp and the cars that drove by made a splashy noise like a mother hushing a small child. As the sun dropped further and further it became colderand darker, I retreated indoors where, although I can still see my breath, the rooms have been blessed with light.

Zebra

A zoo in Northern Iraq recently spent a large amount of money to purchase a zebra. The vet that inspected the animal recently resigned his position after a drenching rain storm. The paint manufacturer can no longer claim that their product has not been tested on animals. We wonder what will happen to the donkey.

Back at My Other Home

I am finally back in my home in the ME. I am so excited to see my kids (students) in the morning. But now...off to sleep. Happy!

Delayed in Dubai

Well, our flight got changed and no one told us and maybe the airline changed names too... we can't tell. Whatever the case, I am in Dubai for a bit more time than previously planned. We hope to fly out within the next few days and are calling the airport daily to keep track of the next flights out (make sure they don't get changed too!). But this allows for a little bit of sightseeing. Yesterday we went and saw the Ibn Battuta mall. Believe me, this place was impressive. There were areas of the mall for different places that this man Ibn Battuta had traveled from Spain to China. Below is a picture of the Persian area. I don't care for malls much, but I could have wandered around in this mall for ages. Although I don't know if that would be too good for business because I barely noticed the shops. I was only looking at the ceilings and walls. It is set up to look like you are outside almost, until you get to these huge rooms like cathedrals done up in that style. Then you move on to the next one. Anyway, it was fun and a good indoor alternative to the beaches. We wanted to go out to the beaches or something, but there was a sandstorm so we couldn't have seen anything anyway.